Integrity is a 100% Job

I was asked recently how I would describe "Integrity" and my answer was it is your ability to trust yourself, it is the very foundation on which to build trust with others.

In this context, consistent behaviour is not good enough. There is no such thing as 99% integrity - it has to be a 100% commitment.

You can be consistent and deliver most of the time and you can get in the area with your clients, suppliers, prospects and staff. But only 100% constancy builds trust and gets you over the front door!

Whatever level you choose to operate - values, principles or results; to be trusted you have to be constant in your efforts. We do a lot of work with stategic level teams and in the early stages of the team coming together the chief concern expressed by many is that they will not be trusted by their new colleagues. Trusted to do the right thing, trusted to make the right decisions, trusted to communicate the right messages. The ones that overcome this concern the quickest are the ones that exude integrity. The ones that are supremely confident in their ability to do what they say they will do. They eliminate any hint of doubt that others may have - effortlessly.

So, next time you are seeking the trust of your colleagues, clients or suppliers, ask yourself, "Do I trust myself to deliver what I say I will?" "Is my word my bond?" "Am I reliable?" "Am I my toughest customer to please?" If you can answer "Yes" to all of these questions, without qualification, you will be building the sort of trust-based relationships that differentiate the very best leaders!